Every since I've had my Vette I knew that there was something wrong with the shifter… maybe the throw was a little too long, maybe it was a little sloppy and the knob itself was definitely not what I would have liked it to be (both comfort and looks wise). As time went by I realized that, for my tastes, the shifter was not sloppy. Was the throw too long… maybe, but not by a ridiculous amount. So I figured, lets address the most obvious problem… the shift knob and maybe the rest of the perceived problems will just go away. It should be noted that this did nothing, as expected, for my shift boot… its worn, it doesn't stay up since it is worn out and it just needs to be replaced, but thats another modification for another day.

So I set my mind to go out and purchase a MGW “Gripper” style shift knob. The going price on their website is listed as $40 plus shipping. As I was commenting on another Corvette Forum member's new style MGW shifter when a fellow member said he had a brand new MGW shift knob he was willing to part with for $30 shipped. Being the cheapskate that I am, I shot him a message offering $25, which he accepted. I was thrilled to get the shift knob I liked for nearly half cost!!! As expected, the shift knob arrived on time and in great shape (Corvette Forum members are fantastic to deal with (almost always)!!! So it was off to install it, without any further banter that you could care less to hear… here is the procedure. Note that you can click on any picture to view a larger image as well as the fact that this is just how I performed the modification… feel free to chime in with any suggestions or deviate in any way you see fit.

As with any good modification it all starts with admiring the fancy new item that you are about to indulge in placing on your car. In this case it is quite easy as the MGW shift knob has a nice solid and comfortable feel in your hand even before you get it on the car. The ABS textured grip against the polished body and brushed shift pattern look just like you would hope they would. From the get go it is clear that you are dealing with a quality piece… which is good thing!!!

So now that we are satisfied that we have made a good purchase its time for the fun part!!! Lets get to removing that stock shift knob so that we can get this new piece in there!!! The first step to getting this job done is to lift the stock shift pattern piece out of the stock shifter. Note that in the images I used a small flat head screw driver and pried up. Let me make it clear that this is NOT the best way to go about this. I would suggest using something much softer and thinner so that you do not scratch the stock shift pattern as it is just plastic. Note that I did scratch the back of the shift pattern but fortunately it was low enough that it does not show when reinstalled (yes I double checked because I am anal!!!).

Yeah… so anyone who has ever performed this modification or anything having to do with removing the stock shift knob can tell you that this part is a real pain!!! The key that holds the stock shifter in place has been lovingly termed “The Demon Key”, the name is well earned as removing it can be next to impossible. In reality it is nothing more than a small piece of aluminum that slides in a slot within the shift knob and shift arm itself. The issue is that it gets wedged in there in such a way that people have gone to the lengths of just cutting the entire shift knob off with a hack saw. So be prepared for an uphill battle!!! I first tried simply pulling straight up and wiggling with a set of channel locks… that resulted in nothing other than a series of slurs and frustration. Being the knuckle head that I am.. the obvious tool for the job was a hammer. So I latched on with my channel locks and smacked away at them (with a rag wrapped around the channel locks so as to not damage it of course) from every angle I possibly could for a couple of minutes (or at least it felt that long). Then I took my handy screw driver and pried up from the passenger side.. with no luck whatsoever. After several more slurs I tried again from the driver's side with a little more umph this time. Success!!! It started to come up. That being said I had to pry hard enough to literally compress the leather on the shift knob itself. No worries as the shift knob leather bounced right back and you'd never even know it. At this point I was able to just slide it right out by hand. So there is “The Demon Key” solution… pulling, shaking, banging, cussing and prying… no problem!!!

No demon key or fanciness here… you are basically home free at this point!!! Grab a hold of the stock shifter and turn it counter clock wise, to your left if you are looking at facing the front of the car… in case you manage to somehow get yourself in there some other way… if so please send pictures!!! Finish screwing the stock knob off and you are ready for the new one… almost. You will notice the metal threads have taken some shavings from the plastic threads on the stock knob off. Now is a good time to clean that mess up… yeah, no one will see it but go head and do it anyways, you know you want to!!!

Again, nothing tricky here. Just screw the new MGW shift knob on by turning it clockwise, to the right if you are facing the front of the car… again if you are facing the rear of the car you are my hero/heroin. At some point the new shift knob will bottom out, note that it is likely that it will not be properly aligned. No worries, just turn it back a quarter to a half a turn or however far it needs to go and align it by hand. At this point the new knob is still loose and easy to turn so you need to set the shift knob by tightening down the set screw.

Position the shift pattern and knob like you want it and tighten the allen head set screw nice and tight… no need to get carried away but you get the idea. I made every attempt to keep the shift pattern perfectly aligned… and then I realized that the front of the shift arm is flat and the screw will align the pattern for you… yet another well thought out idea on a quality piece!!!

Yeah… I'm one of those. Grab yourself a permanent marker and a Ziplock bag (or whatever brand, you get the idea… I've got no ax to grind here). Label the bag in some way that makes sense to you, place all three pieces in the bag, seal it and stick it somewhere safe. Or sell it to recoup some of your cost if that is your thing. I'm a wierdo and like to keep the old stock parts.

Go ahead grab a seat and admire your work!!! By all means crack open an adult beverage and revel in the fact that you have a fantastic car that is just a little bit better now. Or… take it for a drive and enjoy your new shifter!!!